got a new one - a chap canvassing for the local conservative party came round and this guy was well over 60 so should know about minis - he went for the getting to know you angle and said.
"Oh these new minis are fab, my daughter has one and ive been after getting one"
I replied "wheres it parked?" assuming he had a small BMW to show me.
"This one here!" pointing at my car
"Well its not new chum, its a 1991, by no means "old old" either but its not new"
"Oh right, it looks like a new one"
"Err...no, no it doesnt"
He stuttered for a minute and went in for the "relating to you, the voter" chit chat again
"Didnt BMW buy these metros?"
"Sorry mate youve lost me completely, are we still talking about my Rover Mini? what Metros?"
"I thought BMW bought out Austin and built these cars"
Im smiling now, because im wondering where this man has been for the last 20 years
"Not really how it went down but youre in the ball park - BMW built the new mini"
"Like this one?"
"No, like that one (pointing to my next door but ones little BMW....had to walk down the drive in my dressing gown to show him)
"Theyre the same one arent they?" he said.
"Do they look the same to you?" I replied in slight disbelief
"Oh i dont know, these modern cars confuse me these days...."
"No ****......"
Nice man, but bloody hell pal, if youre supposed to be representing us in Europe, the least you can do is know the difference between a British car, so iconically British its almost more British than Big Ben, fish and chips and cups of tea and a German piece of **** (all be it quite a well engineered piece of ****)
To be pedantic BMW owned Rover since 1994 and under the rover mark classic minis were built up until 2000 so BMW have technically built the classic mini.